jltile1 wrote:One thing I think that might help is to, as new members join a admin or a volunteer show them around and help them out,and yes everyone that joins. I was completely lost when I joined the site. I looked at my games played when I first joined and holy crap what was I doing. I played games and settings and got smoked. That being said I could of just gave up, but I do love risk so stayed but maybe a lot of players are just leaving.

The yarn craft social network ravelry has a user created and run welcome group. When new users join the site a member of the group is assigned to them. They send the new user an email explaining some key elements to the site and offering to help them out. A similar thing could be done here. It's a small solution that doesn't rely on lack

I'm telling you I have played on a few sites and just recently found a new one. There are you tube videos explaining the game play. This site has a lot of good features however I don't think most of them are for the average gamer. The maps here are hard to figure out epically when a CC player has it down pat. It is explained it the forums but you have to get there as chuck said you join and want to play. As I did I played nukes and I nuked my stack first go. I played assasian and killed someones target. Ya I can play the hell out risk but if someone just explained all these things I'm sure more would stay. There are the SOC and mentors but we have to get new players with them as its hard to join and just find all that.

...For of course the incredible increase in settings has also meant that it is now easier than ever to set up a game - on an unusual map - with strange settings and thus defeat the new or casual player. It is odd to think that CC have actually increased the prospect of farming by the expansion of settings. But it is surely true. It is hard to argue with that idea that the best players play on simple maps and simple settings and defeat the opposition squarely. Yet since my arrival on this site the opportunity to create an unholy combination of settings and map has been positively encouraged. This is not much fun for the casual player 'looking for a decent game of Risk'. And don't forget - you CC addicts reading this - that the vast majority of players on this site are looking for a 'decent game of Risk'. I know most of you have played so many games that you have managed to bore yourselves silly of the original game that brought you here, but you simply don't reflect the average gamer. Strangely, possibly unbelieveably, I actually do. And I know it is harder to get a decent game of Risk here than before. A game not ruined (for the average gamer) by a combination of map and settings that mean he is likely to lose before he has even set a foot on the map.

Some ideas gets to my mind for this. You are saying that the casual gamer may be put off if he is played on a game where there are settings or even objectives of the map that might put him at a disadvantage if he does not really know enough information about the map or settings, it could make him think that this is not what he registered for. Eventually, it will make him not to bother returning.

There are game settings and maps that are more adapted to certain hardcore gamers and there are some that are more suited for the casual gamer who are really here just to have fun. How can he have fun if he doesn't understand the game settings or even how complex the map is or there is a certain strategy on how to play that particular map that some veteran players have found a way to do it with certain settings. If these are his first 2 or 4 games, and he loses 'miserably' I can understand why he would leave.

So there are at least 2 types of CC gamers - a casual gamer and a hardcore gamer.

A casual gamer who plays for fun and doesn't really mind if he loses or wins.A hardcore gamer who is more passionate about the game and looks after his rank, points, medals and other stats (at least something like that).

Membership is declining because this site is full of elitist douchebags who rub their clan affiliation, rank, points, and doubles/triples/quads skills in other people's faces, and half the posts in the forum are bitching about dice, drop, "luck," and whatever else, while the other half are cutesy kiss-ass monkey references directed at Andy. Or "think pieces" about how glorious a certain rank is or how noobs should be regulated more. Site is declining, solution is obviously to drive more noobs away with restrictions...

nagerous wrote:Dibbun is a well known psychotic from the forums

Army of GOD wrote:Congrats to Dibbun, the white jesus, and all of his mercy and forgiveness.

Jdsizzleslice wrote: So you can crawl back to whatever psychosocial nutjob hole you came from.

Dibbun wrote:Membership is declining because this site is full of elitist douchebags who rub their clan affiliation, rank, points, and doubles/triples/quads skills in other people's faces, and half the posts in the forum are bitching about dice, drop, "luck," and whatever else, while the other half are cutesy kiss-ass monkey references directed at Andy. Or "think pieces" about how glorious a certain rank is or how noobs should be regulated more. Site is declining, solution is obviously to drive more noobs away with restrictions...

Did you actually read my opening post? It is not even particuarly about new recruits..though they are an important factor. I am in fact stating (for those slow ones at the back) that the reason this site's membership is continuously dropping is due to the fact that as a site it is less and less associated with Risk. Therefore casual members (this most emphatically does not mean new recruits) are finding it harder to get a good, well-played game of straight risk, while new recruits who one must assume come here to play a game of Risk, are instead assaulted with a mess of games in some way related to it, but not actually what they want to play.

I've consistantly written here that the expansion of maps and settings is bad overall for the site (if good for that hardcore who have the loudest voices). I am now also saying that the drop in site membership is a direct result of the policy.

I wonder if I am making Andy question things a little. It isn't too late to change things.

Dibbun wrote:Membership is declining because this site is full of elitist douchebags who rub their clan affiliation, rank, points, and doubles/triples/quads skills in other people's faces, and half the posts in the forum are bitching about dice, drop, "luck," and whatever else, while the other half are cutesy kiss-ass monkey references directed at Andy. Or "think pieces" about how glorious a certain rank is or how noobs should be regulated more. Site is declining, solution is obviously to drive more noobs away with restrictions...

less than 10% of people on this site actually bother visiting the forums. so even if all that elitistic crap that you're talking about would be true, it would only affect a small percentage of people.

“In the beginning God said, the four-dimensional divergence of an antisymmetric, second rank tensor equals zero, and there was light, and it was good. And on the seventh day he rested.”- Michio Kaku

Chuuuuck wrote:It has already been mentioned. But I think the simplest answer is this. When a new person comes to this site, they instantly click on "Join A Game" and all they find at the top of the list are the games that have sat there the longest. They have sat there the longest because everyone who has been here a while are smart enough to not join them because they provide zero (0) entertainment. The newbie plays that game, realizes how much it sucks, and doesn't come back.

The number goes down because people get burnt out and tired of playing and leave. This is a natural thing, we just aren't replacing them with people like we should.

Some how the site needs to become more welcoming to new people. Get them involved in the type of games they are looking for. Which I agree with the OP, is similar to a game of risk. They need to be geared towards decent games somehow. And pushed away from the first 2-3 pages of "Join A Game."

Yep, there is so much "garbage" on the games to join, it's ridiculous...

one thing i have not seen mentioned here is the tourney section of the site... this has also expanded loads since the addition of the tab at top for direct access.. i have noticed loads of players now running more premium membership prizes for these tourneys which state a set amount of games needing left open by freemiums. if they leave these games open (usually 2 needed.) it also slows up the casual side of things. also freemiums will not pay for preemium while in these tourneys. and if they run slow or get abandoned i know i would be extremely pissed because of it.

eddie2 wrote:one thing i have not seen mentioned here is the tourney section of the site... this has also expanded loads since the addition of the tab at top for direct access.. i have noticed loads of players now running more premium membership prizes for these tourneys which state a set amount of games needing left open by freemiums. if they leave these games open (usually 2 needed.) it also slows up the casual side of things. also freemiums will not pay for preemium while in these tourneys. and if they run slow or get abandoned i know i would be extremely pissed because of it.

4 or 5 freemiums being affected by one of those tournaments is nothing compared to the other issues mentioned in this thread.

eddie2 wrote:one thing i have not seen mentioned here is the tourney section of the site... this has also expanded loads since the addition of the tab at top for direct access.. i have noticed loads of players now running more premium membership prizes for these tourneys which state a set amount of games needing left open by freemiums. if they leave these games open (usually 2 needed.) it also slows up the casual side of things. also freemiums will not pay for preemium while in these tourneys. and if they run slow or get abandoned i know i would be extremely pissed because of it.

4 or 5 freemiums being affected by one of those tournaments is nothing compared to the other issues mentioned in this thread.

the issue is not 1 thing it is lots of things adding up to 1 big thing. so this part is just as important as the others... like what has been mentioned.

like the clan world there are more freemiums joining clans needing to keep all games available for these.tourneys lots more where freemiums are keeping there games for these.

like what many are saying there are loads more sections to the site and things are getting bigger but the freemium free games have not increased to help them experiance more sides of the site they can pick only 1 section to take part in. and proberly get feed up.

i am only talking on newr members joining the site and not longer standing ones who are leaving. that is another issue.

Dibbun wrote:Membership is declining because this site is full of elitist douchebags who rub their clan affiliation, rank, points, and doubles/triples/quads skills in other people's faces, and half the posts in the forum are bitching about dice, drop, "luck," and whatever else, while the other half are cutesy kiss-ass monkey references directed at Andy. Or "think pieces" about how glorious a certain rank is or how noobs should be regulated more. Site is declining, solution is obviously to drive more noobs away with restrictions...

You are nuts. People start threads about dice and you start them about beating a higher ranked player lol. And this thread doesn't have anything to do with said is only n the forums.

I think that the real problem is the dice... Hundreds of people quit after watching their opponents take five or six territories in a single turn with a deployment of 3 men to just be limited to taking a feeble 1 man down at the cost of 4. Here's an example: Game 11360046 - with a mere 9 men, Tenebrus split his men and took down his pair at Aoria. What the heck?!

Let me tell you, if it weren't for clans, I'm pretty sure that three-quarters of the players in the Regiment (myself included) would have quit, by now.

We shall fight in France. We shall fight on the seas and oceans. We shall fight, with growing confidence and strength in the air. ~ Winston Churchill

...For of course the incredible increase in settings has also meant that it is now easier than ever to set up a game - on an unusual map - with strange settings and thus defeat the new or casual player. It is odd to think that CC have actually increased the prospect of farming by the expansion of settings. But it is surely true. It is hard to argue with that idea that the best players play on simple maps and simple settings and defeat the opposition squarely. Yet since my arrival on this site the opportunity to create an unholy combination of settings and map has been positively encouraged. This is not much fun for the casual player 'looking for a decent game of Risk'. And don't forget - you CC addicts reading this - that the vast majority of players on this site are looking for a 'decent game of Risk'. I know most of you have played so many games that you have managed to bore yourselves silly of the original game that brought you here, but you simply don't reflect the average gamer. Strangely, possibly unbelieveably, I actually do. And I know it is harder to get a decent game of Risk here than before. A game not ruined (for the average gamer) by a combination of map and settings that mean he is likely to lose before he has even set a foot on the map.

Some ideas gets to my mind for this. You are saying that the casual gamer may be put off if he is played on a game where there are settings or even objectives of the map that might put him at a disadvantage if he does not really know enough information about the map or settings, it could make him think that this is not what he registered for. Eventually, it will make him not to bother returning.

There are game settings and maps that are more adapted to certain hardcore gamers and there are some that are more suited for the casual gamer who are really here just to have fun. How can he have fun if he doesn't understand the game settings or even how complex the map is or there is a certain strategy on how to play that particular map that some veteran players have found a way to do it with certain settings. If these are his first 2 or 4 games, and he loses 'miserably' I can understand why he would leave.

So there are at least 2 types of CC gamers - a casual gamer and a hardcore gamer.

A casual gamer who plays for fun and doesn't really mind if he loses or wins.A hardcore gamer who is more passionate about the game and looks after his rank, points, medals and other stats (at least something like that).

Well here is the point a casual player is not a player that wants, or doesn't care if they loose, but rather that doesn't want it to be complicated. As risk takes some stragety yes but you can always see the entire board, your Internet speed means nothing, there are no bombardments, and the list goes on.

I think anyone playing a stragety game wants to win, or why would you even play. Ya someone might not throw a big fit as some hardcore gamers, but I think everyone wants to win. Im not saying take all the settings away at all, but something in my eyes should be done to help the newer players learn how the site works. And I am a serious gamer and some the stuff round here makes me wanna leave just saying.

eddie2 wrote:one thing i have not seen mentioned here is the tourney section of the site... this has also expanded loads since the addition of the tab at top for direct access.. i have noticed loads of players now running more premium membership prizes for these tourneys which state a set amount of games needing left open by freemiums. if they leave these games open (usually 2 needed.) it also slows up the casual side of things. also freemiums will not pay for preemium while in these tourneys. and if they run slow or get abandoned i know i would be extremely pissed because of it.

4 or 5 freemiums being affected by one of those tournaments is nothing compared to the other issues mentioned in this thread.

the issue is not 1 thing it is lots of things adding up to 1 big thing. so this part is just as important as the others... like what has been mentioned.

like the clan world there are more freemiums joining clans needing to keep all games available for these.tourneys lots more where freemiums are keeping there games for these.

like what many are saying there are loads more sections to the site and things are getting bigger but the freemium free games have not increased to help them experiance more sides of the site they can pick only 1 section to take part in. and proberly get feed up.

i am only talking on newr members joining the site and not longer standing ones who are leaving. that is another issue.

the 4 or 5 affected are outweighed by the many who stick around because of tournaments.

king achilles wrote:So there are at least 2 types of CC gamers - a casual gamer and a hardcore gamer.

A casual gamer who plays for fun and doesn't really mind if he loses or wins.A hardcore gamer who is more passionate about the game and looks after his rank, points, medals and other stats (at least something like that).

I think, this is somewhat besides the point. The main question/distinction here is: Old/new players.

Once people are hooked into the site, some stick to playing casual games and never get involved with the community (forums, clans, tournaments, etc.), others get involved more deeply. Some care about points/rank/medals, others not. Some prefer old school Risk style maps, some the tricky & special maps. There are many different ways how to use & enjoy the site, but that is not the point here.

The point here is how to get new players hooked. The point is new players coming to the site, most of them probably after googling for "Risk Online", and what their first impression is, and why so many of them leave & never come back. And the reasons are pretty obvious:

The CC interface will lead these people to either the "Join a Game" page (filled with obscure games with obscure maps & settings, that have nothing to do with the game they came here for) or the "Start a Game" page (an overwhelming mess of maps, options & settings, that is hard to navigate for new people).

Solution: Re-vamp the interface. natty dreads posts on the matter have been very good.

a) Make 2 "Join a Game" pages. One for "Beginners" (only showing Sequential Standard games on standard maps), one including everything. Or simply hide all the special games by default, with an expand button "Show advanced/expert games", or something.

b) Hide all the special settings on the "Start a Game" & "Find a Game" pages too, yet again with an expand button "Show advanced/expert settings".

c) Create map categories. Separate the old school Risk style maps from the rest. Only include the standard Risk maps in "Beginners" Join/Find/Start a Game pages. With an expand button to unlock the rest.

And the second big issue, that makes people leave & never come back, as pointed out repeatedly: The long waiting time between turns. Just imagine the activity, if every Freemium would be allowed to play 1 Speed game at a time.

Consider it, and consider other incentives for buying Premium. 1 Speed Game with 5 Minutes turns for Freemiums, unlimited Speed Games with 1,2,3,4,5 Minutes turns for Premiums. Just for example.

ahunda wrote:And the second big issue, that makes people leave & never come back, as pointed out repeatedly: The long waiting time between turns. Just imagine the activity, if every Freemium would be allowed to play 1 Speed game at a time.

but restrict them to simple settings and maps. if they want to play the full range of maps & settings they have to pay.

But why do we bother? Much has been said about this and nothing (significant) changes.

The owner doesn't care anymore, for whatever reason. With all the wealth of ideas many have poured here, in other posts about the matter and in the suggestion forum, someone with time could create a site that would make CC die in a matter of days. If the owner cared about the money he'd be implementing those changes, but he doesn't.

Let's cut the crap with the "takes time" response. If he wanted he would've already.

I remember the time when we used to play "rt" games every day, about 8ET, there were no speed games back then and we went to live chat to set up one, or since we were here anticipating those games already, we would just set-up a 6 man private game, and those interested will ask for the password. Those who were late would join the game chat and that way the next game was filled. And game chat was always fun too. If one had to go for some reason and there was no sitter available, we would just simply let it become casual and start another real time game.

Now, if you want a quickie you look for a speed game, but almost never you see an interesting game there, except for those who are into gambles (luxemburg assassin) and into getting points by being fast (doodle freestyle). Sometimes a good game is up, but filled with low ranked players. So you simply satisfy your craving with a mano a mano. But you are rarely satisfied.

BTW, the point inflation is also a problem, there were many 3000-3500 conquerors that would sweep the floor with today's 4500-5000 conquerors.

king achilles wrote:So there are at least 2 types of CC gamers - a casual gamer and a hardcore gamer.

A casual gamer who plays for fun and doesn't really mind if he loses or wins.A hardcore gamer who is more passionate about the game and looks after his rank, points, medals and other stats (at least something like that).

I think, this is somewhat besides the point. The main question/distinction here is: Old/new players.

Once people are hooked into the site, some stick to playing casual games and never get involved with the community (forums, clans, tournaments, etc.), others get involved more deeply. Some care about points/rank/medals, others not. Some prefer old school Risk style maps, some the tricky & special maps. There are many different ways how to use & enjoy the site, but that is not the point here.

The point here is how to get new players hooked. The point is new players coming to the site, most of them probably after googling for "Risk Online", and what their first impression is, and why so many of them leave & never come back. And the reasons are pretty obvious:

The CC interface will lead these people to either the "Join a Game" page (filled with obscure games with obscure maps & settings, that have nothing to do with the game they came here for) or the "Start a Game" page (an overwhelming mess of maps, options & settings, that is hard to navigate for new people).

Solution: Re-vamp the interface. natty dreads posts on the matter have been very good.

a) Make 2 "Join a Game" pages. One for "Beginners" (only showing Sequential Standard games on standard maps), one including everything. Or simply hide all the special games by default, with an expand button "Show advanced/expert games", or something.

b) Hide all the special settings on the "Start a Game" & "Find a Game" pages too, yet again with an expand button "Show advanced/expert settings".

c) Create map categories. Separate the old school Risk style maps from the rest. Only include the standard Risk maps in "Beginners" Join/Find/Start a Game pages. With an expand button to unlock the rest.

And the second big issue, that makes people leave & never come back, as pointed out repeatedly: The long waiting time between turns. Just imagine the activity, if every Freemium would be allowed to play 1 Speed game at a time.

Consider it, and consider other incentives for buying Premium. 1 Speed Game with 5 Minutes turns for Freemiums, unlimited Speed Games with 1,2,3,4,5 Minutes turns for Premiums. Just for example.

This is a great post

It is very easy if you look at the first most the players play is the classic risk map with typical settings of the original game. How are people getting to the site exactly as you said google risk online, and I'm sure that a lot goes into making this site a first on that list. You are right a lot of people will not make it to the forums, some will after a while, and some if they do some digging around.

When a new player joins they usually will hit join game exactly the problem. They will have 20-30 pages of game where the setting have nothing to do with why they signed up,which was to play a decent stragety game. Not some crazy map that you need to play ten times before you can figure out.

There really needs to be some blocks on newer player joining a lot of these games awaiting. And yes if you split the games awaiting into novice intermediate and expert it would change a lot of how to find games. Classic map is easy but let even someone who has played 2000 classic map and 1000 doodle map play city mogul freestyle fog is not fair. Or lunar war and arms race the list goes on. And to see players seeking out those matches here or simply setting them up knowing that a beginner will join and a easy 10 points is what are making some walk. I do think there really needs to be some thought to bringing the classic map back to a priority.

Letting freemiums play some speed games is also a great idea, as to get them involved all the way around. Yes I only bought my prem beacuse of speed games, but I think that might get more players to buy in as they will get hooked on playing real time. Other sites do offer to let you play real time for free.

I my self have played in a few games where one and two strips have joined and never stand a chance. A trip or quad game for example freestyle settings with a team manual deployment they have never stood a chance. Half the team games here are never fair. Take the tourney games and clan wars out the mix and you have a serious lop sided system here. You have four elite players then a one strip joins well who is to follow usually lower ranks then they get hammered.

Hope some thing can be done but seems as the last thread no one want to do anything.

While I am genuinely grateful for all of these supportive, nay downright helpful and insightful posts, I feel you are all (or at least most of you) still shy of taking the intellectual leap I demand. There have been many excellent posts with regards to how to give a new recruit (or very new player) a better first experience. I agree with most of what has been written. Yet I want to go further. I am not writing of the new recruit, I am writing of the CASUAL player. These are different concepts. The casual player may have played hundreds of games.

I refer you back to the key paragraph in the OP...

This site is losing members because it made the awful mistake of actually listening to you guys..though you all love to believe that CC ignores you terribly. CC-policy has been to cater for the hardcore, which is actually a fairly small percentage of the players on this site. That's why we have had a massive expansion in settings, because the hardcore gets bored of all the other settings after they've played thousands of games on them and have got their gold medals. They need more medals and therefore more settings. Of course this means that an ever increasing selection of the games available are not on settings or maps the casual gamer would even think of playing. ''But they can set them up themselves!!!" I hear you all cry. But I wager the new player is rarely immediately premium. He must join a game. As the settings have become increasingly unfriendly for the new player he must try and find a basic game of risk he can play. I remember trying to set up a new player some games about a year ago. It really wasn't easy. There was so little decent (for him) available. If he doesn't enjoy his first experiences here (when freemium) the new player won't buy his membership. In fact he will leave. That's why the membership is dropping.

It is interesting to me that my usual antagonists have steered clear of this thread. I suspect this is because the discussion has veered towards New Recruits. But I am determined to wrench it back to my key point, which as it is my thread I think I am justified in doing.

I have argued here for a very long time that the expansion in maps and settings has been bad for this site. I believe with every innovation it takes the site further and further away from the original game of Risk. I say that is why the membership is dropping. People come here to play Risk. With every passing year this site has less to do with that game. Therefore many members have left. As an example, consider how high on the scoreboard a standard sequential flat player can get. Squeak on to the first page? Basic european Risk has been simply eclipsed. What has freestlye got to do with original Risk? Foggy games? Lot's of players have dominated the scoreboard playing maps and settings that have almost nothing to do with the original game. Yet, and this is key, the majority of players (casual players) come here to play Risk, yet they cannot progress on the scoreboard playing the original game. Almost everyone wants to be successful at what they do. In my view it is human nature. Yet playing the game they actually came here to play, most players would top out around captain. Yet the scoreboard is littered with players that are playing a game with little relation to the game the majority of players came here to play. There is a basic dissonance to this fact, and it is why the site is becoming increasingly unpopular.

All of you writing here have accepted that New Recruits want to play a good game of Risk. I think that is an important advance for my argument and I am glad it has been so uniformly accepted. But now I want you to go further. I say that not only do new players want to play Risk, but they also want to keep playing Risk and feel they are advancing on the site. The scoreboard is forcing players to play games they actually didn't come here to play to advance. CC is forcing players to choose effectively unfair settings for the opposition (farming etc) to advance. This site has been corrupted by the expansion in maps and settings. Players have been equally corrupted in a moral sense. This is why the site's membership is declining.